One of the richest women in Britain has given the single largest donation received by the University of Exeter - a whopping £10m which could benefit dementia patients worldwide.

The generous gift from the Dennis and Mireille Gillings Foundation will transform dementia research and diagnosis by the building of the Mireille Gillings Neuroimaging Centre within the grounds of the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital.

The new centre will help accelerate clinical trials for potential dementia treatments over the next five years.

Dr Mireille Gillings and her husband Dennis

Last year Dr Mireille was named as being the 22nd richest woman in Britain according to the Sunday Times' 2017 Rich List.

It reported her net worth was £900 million and that she owns a £706 million stake in Nasdaq-listed pharmaceuticals research company Quintiles with her husband Dennis, who founded the company in 1982.

She became an honorary graduate at Exeter University in 2017.

Dr Gillings, the founder and chief executive officer of HUYA Bioscience International, a global leader in accelerating development of biopharma innovation from China, said: “As a neuroscientist I understand that the application of new scanning technology and techniques has the potential to transform neurological research.

“This new state-of-the-art imaging centre will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the molecular understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurological disease.”

Exeter University

Fifty million people around the world suffer from dementia. Currently there are less than 30 phase 2 or phase 3 trials for disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s worldwide.

The Mireille Gillings Neuroimaging Centre should double the number of dementia drugs in development, through innovative use of new brain-scanning technology and techniques. The centre has the potential to benefit patients globally.

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The donation will also be used to help improve cancer diagnosis by GPs and to support the next generation of outstanding medical leaders.

Professor Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor and chief executive at the University of Exeter, said: “Mireille and Dennis Gillings’ generosity and commitment to the University of Exeter has been exceptional. Their visionary philanthropy in the field of health has already helped us to grow our scientific community, and this new, extraordinary gift will help ensure our medical school cements its place as one of the leading institutions in the world.”

Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter.

The centre is the latest example of the close partnership working between the University of Exeter and the RD&E.

Suzanne Tracey, chief executive at the RD&E, said: “We are pleased to be working with the University of Exeter and with the generous support of Mireille and Dennis Gillings to build a new Neuroimaging Centre that is set to play an important role in helping to better understand and tackle one of the most difficult health issues we face as a society: the growth in the numbers of people affected by dementia.

“The new facility will also underline that Exeter is becoming one of the leading centres for dementia research in the UK.”

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Who is Dr Mireille Gillings?

Dr Mireille Gillings, founder and CEO HUYA Bioscience International, is a global leader in accelerating development of biopharma innovation from China.

She pioneered collaborating with Chinese academic and commercial organisations to improve public health and create global value for China-sourced biopharma compounds.

A visionary leader with over 20 years' experience in the biotech sector, Dr Gillings has both scientific and operational expertise in research, drug development including neurologic and neurodegenerative research.

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Dr Gillings was the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Quintiles, a Fortune 500 company, since the company's privatisation and subsequent IPO and more recently she co-founded and is the non-Executive Vice Chair of GHO Capital, a European private equity fund specialising in global health opportunities. She is also a member of the US Pasteur Foundation Board.

In 2015 Dr Gillings received the Gold Stevie Award in the American Business category and in 2017 was named by The Sunday Times as one of the top 10 female entrepreneurs.

Personal passions include the Gillings School of Global Public Health and building international scientific partnerships through the Mireille and Dennis Gillings Global Public Health Fellowships with the aim to develop the next generation of public health leaders.

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She is also trustee of the Dennis and Mireille Gillings Family Foundation and belongs to the University of Exeter College of Benefactors.

Educated in Canada, the Netherlands, France, and the USA, Dr Gillings received a PhD in Neuroscience from Radboud University Nijmegen, and held post-doctoral fellowships at Bordeaux University and Scripps Research Institute. She is fluent in English, Dutch, French and Spanish.